Feeding Device

ABSTRACT

The switch ( 15 ) which is placed at a feeding device (F) for access from the exterior is situated in a front part ( 10 ) of a housing ( 1 ) at a side of a withdrawal axis (Y) which is remote from a mounting device ( 5 ). The housing ( 1 ) has the mounting device ( 5 ), a housing bracket ( 6 ), the cantilevering front part ( 10 ) at the housing bracket, a withdrawal axis (Y) defining withdrawal eyelet ( 13 ) which is placed in the front part, and a light permeable cover ( 14 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a feeding device. In this case the inventiondeals, in particular, with a feeding device for knitting machines,although the concept of the invention also may be implemented in feedingdevices for weaving machines or other textile machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Very many feeding devices have to be mounted at a holding device of aknitting machine in most cases closely adjacent to each other and withthe help of the mounting devices. In the case that a disturbance occursat a feeding device, the warning light source is activated via thecontrol system of the feeding device in order to signal the disturbanceto the operating personnel. During or after mending the disturbance thewarning light source again is switched off by means of the switch, orthe control system of the feeding device is reset. With feeding devicesknown in practice, the light permeable cover and the switch almostalways are placed so that the cover can hardly be seen and/or that theswitch is complicated to manipulate, especially when the yarn feedingdevices are arranged very close to one another.

It is an object of the invention to provide a feeding device of the typeas mentioned above which can be handled very comfortably.

This object is achieved by providing a feeding device for yarn material,comprising a housing including a mounting device, a substantiallydrum-shaped storage body, a housing bracket extending with distancealong the storage body, a front part cantilevering from the housingbracket at a free end of the housing bracket, the front part beingsituated with axial distance in front of the front end of the storagebody, a withdrawal eyelet placed in the front part defining a withdrawalaxis, a light permeable cover, behind which at least one warning lightsource is provided, and a switch. The switch is connected with the lightsource and is placed such that it is accessible from the exterior of thefeeding device, wherein the switch is placed in the front part at theside of the withdrawal axis which is remote from the mounting device.

The placement of the switch in the front part and at the side of thewithdrawal axis, which is remote from the mounting device, results inseveral advantages which improve the handling comfort. Namely, in thisposition, the switch, especially when several feeding devices arearranged close to one another, is very easily accessible, i.e., isexactly and ergonomically positioned for the operator where the operatorin most cases anyhow has to have access to mend the disturbance.Furthermore, the switch can be seen from many different viewingdirections, because it is not covered either by the yarn or by otherperipheral accessory devices of this feeding device or of other feedingdevices. The reason for this advantage is that, in particular, in thislocation the switch is exposed best when the feeding device is mounted.So to speak, the switch directly offers itself to the seeking eye or thehand of the operator.

This area of the front part which is clearly exposed when the feedingdevice is mounted, expediently is also used to arrange the cover theresuch that the seeking eye of the operator immediately sees the coverwhich is illuminated in the case of a disturbance, and even when thefeeding devices are arranged very close to one another, such that theoperator immediately knows that the disturbance has happened here. Bythis placement of the switch and/or of the cover time can be saved fortroubleshooting and when repairing the disturbance which is a positivefactor for the production rate of the textile machine.

Expediently, the cover at the same time also includes the withdrawaleyelet such that the illuminated cover may offer a relatively large andeye-catching illuminated surface.

Furthermore, expediently the additional task to hold the withdrawaleyelet is associated to the cover. This results in advantages for theassembly of the feeding device.

Furthermore, it is of advantage for mounting reasons when the switch andthe cover are integrated into each other, preferably when at least oneactuating member of the switch is integrated into the cover.

The actuating member or acting part may be a push button which can bemanipulated comfortably.

The push button is arranged in protected and guided fashion, if it islocated within a shaft of the cover which extends substantiallyperpendicular to the withdrawal axis.

In order to position and expose the push button as optimally aspossible, the shaft in the cover should extend in a direction which isopposite to the free end of the housing bracket and in relation to thewithdrawal axis, e.g. is substantially parallel to the main plane of thefront part.

Usually, such feeding devices comprise a main switch which is positionedat a random position at the housing separated from the switch forresetting the warning light source. According to the invention, however,expediently, the additional task of the main switch is associated to theswitch which is arranged in an ergonomically favourable position. Forexample, by a short actuation of the switch the warning light source isreset (and the control system belonging thereto), while a longeractuation of the switch may activate the main switch function.

Alternatively, the switch, being provided for both tasks, may include areset switch part and a main switch part, which can be actuatedseparately, however, both are placed optimally with a view tocomfortable handling.

The switch, expediently, may have its own illumination field signallingthe switching condition of the switch.

The illumination field of the switch may extend, in order to be visiblefrom different viewing directions, over at least two surfaces of theswitch or the push button which surfaces form an angle with one another.

In order to assure that the illuminated cover immediately will be seenfrom different viewing directions, it is expedient, when the cover is ahood having a primary illumination side substantially parallel to thefront side of the front part and several secondary illumination sideswhich are oriented angled in relation to the primary illumination side.In combination with the optimal positioning of the cover at the frontpart the differently oriented primary and secondary illumination sidesimmediately can be detected visually from the most different viewingdirections.

Expediently, a secondary illumination side is provided at the holdingsystem of the withdrawal eyelet which secondary illumination sideprotrudes like a cone from the primary illumination side. Thisarrangement results in an optically attractive illumination patternincluding the darker circular withdrawal eyelet in the cover of theillumination.

In an expedient embodiment a structural component is detachably providedat the front part. Control components or mechanical structural parts arehidden behind the structural component. The component has the additionalfunction also to secure the cover. This is advantageous with a view tomaintenance and mounting steps.

The respective light source expediently is an LED. The LED may have acharacteristic colour in order to illuminate the cover e.g. orange orred. The LED for the switch, however, may have another warning colour,e.g. green. The respective LED either is activated permanently orpulsatingly in order to e.g. optically signal the importance of adisturbance or even different disturbances solely by the fashion of theillumination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is described with the help of thedrawing, which is a perspective view of a feeding device for yarnmaterial.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A feeding device F comprises a housing 1 containing a not shown motordriving a winding disc 2 and a winding eyelet 3. The winding disc 2surrounds a generic drum-shaped storage body 4 for intermittentlystoring yarn windings. A mounting device 5 is provided at the housing 1by which mounting device 5 the feeding device F e.g. can be securelyclamped at a holding profile. Furthermore, a housing bracket 6 isprovided at the housing 1 which housing bracket 6 extends substantiallyparallel and with distance at one side of the storage body 4. In thisembodiment a holder 7 for a yarn controlling element is provided at thehousing bracket 5. The holder 7 is slidably adjustable along the housingbracket 5. A fine adjustment is possible by using an adjustment device8. A quick adjustment device 9 may be used for a rough adjustment of theholder. The adjustment devices 8, 9 are arranged at the free end of thehousing bracket 6 and such that they are accessible from the outer side.Furthermore, at the free end of the housing 6 a front part 10 is securedwhich extends at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalextension of the housing bracket 6 laterally over the storage body 4 andwith axial distance from the front end of the storage body 4. In theshown embodiment the front part 10 ends at a rounded free end 20.

In the front side of the front part 10 remote from the storage body 4 astructural component 11 is detachably secured (threaded bores 12) behindwhich control components and/or mechanical components are hidden, e.g.useful for maintenance work or tuning work. Furthermore, a withdrawaleyelet 13 is placed in the front part 10. The withdrawal eyelet 13defines a withdrawal axis Y along which the yarn runs off from thestorage body 4. The withdrawal axis Y is coaxial with the axis of thestorage body 4 and the rotation axis of the winding disc 2.

Furthermore, a light permeable (transparent or opaque) cover 14 issecured in the front part 10. Behind the cover 14 at least one warninglight source Q (e.g. one or several coloured or non-coloured LEDs) is orare placed and are connected with an electronic control system. Thecover is arranged in this area of the front side of the front part 10which extends at the side of the withdrawal axis Y remote from themounting device 5 in the direction towards the free end 20. In the shownembodiment the cover 14 even includes the withdrawal eyelet 13. Finally,the cover 14 has a primary illumination side which is substantiallyparallel to the front side of the front part 10, and several secondaryillumination sides which extend under angles in relation to the primaryillumination side. Such secondary illumination sides e.g. extend aroundthe side edges of the front side of the front part 10. For example, aconical protruding secondary illumination side 17 is formed around thewithdrawal eyelet 13. Incidentally, the cover 14 is also used toposition the withdrawal eyelet 13 which e.g. may be glued into the partof the cover 14 which defines the conical secondary illumination side17.

Furthermore, a switch 15 is provided at the front part 10 at the side ofthe withdrawal axis Y remote from the mounting device 5. In thisembodiment the switch 15 has a push button 18 as an actuation member andan illumination field 16 which e.g. is integrated into the push button18. The illumination field 16 extends over surfaces of the push button18 which extends at an angle in relation to one another. Theillumination field 16 can be illuminated by a not shown light source, inthis case e.g. also an LED (a coloured or a non-coloured LED). Theswitch 15 or the push button, respectively, is integrated into the cover14 and e.g. is guided slidably in a shaft 19 of the cover 14. However,the switch 15, as well, could be arranged in the front part separatedfrom the cover 14. Furthermore, the push button 18 could consist of twopush button parts which are separately actuatable relative to oneanother. In the shown embodiment the switch 15 has the function of areset switch for the warning light source, but also the function of amain switch for the feeding device F.

The switch 15 is placed very close to the free end 20 of the front part10 at the side of the withdrawal axis Y remote from the mounting device5. The push button 18 e.g. may be pressed in a direction which issubstantially parallel to the front side of the front part 10 andsubstantially in the direction which is defined by the adjustment knobof the mechanism 8 and the withdrawal eyelet 13. In a not shownalternative, however, the push button 18 could be actuatable in adirection which is oriented parallel to the withdrawal axis Y.

In the shown embodiment the cover 14 and the withdrawal eyelet 13 andthe push button 18 of the switch are a structural unit which can bepre-positioned at suitable sockets, e.g. of a control board, when thecomponent 11 is removed, and which finally can be secured in place byassembling the component 11. The illumination field 16 of the switch 14e.g. is green in order to achieve a clear difference to the orange lightof the illuminated cover 14. In order to actuate the main switchfunction the push button 18 e.g. is held pressed longer than two secondswhile for the reset function the push button 18 only needs to be pressedonce for a short while. The cover 14 expediently is a moulded plasticmaterial having a scratch-proof surface and good light distributingproperties. The push button 18 is positioned between the free end 20 andthe step of the cover 14 so that it can be gripped easily, expedientlyso that its contour steps back in relation to the contour of the freeend 20.

In an alternative embodiment the cover 14 may have a boundary lineextending substantially at the height of the withdrawal axis Y. In thiscase the cover 14 does not surround the withdrawal eyelet 13.Furthermore, the withdrawal eyelet 13 need not necessarily be integratedinto the cover 14.

1.-17. (canceled)
 18. Feeding device for yarn material, comprising a housing including a mounting device, a substantially drum-shaped storage body, a housing bracket extending with distance along the storage body, a front part cantilevering from the housing bracket at a free end of the housing bracket, the front part being situated with axial distance in front of the front end of the storage body, a withdrawal eyelet placed in the front part defining a withdrawal axis, a light permeable cover, behind which at least one warning light source is provided, and a switch, connected with the light source and being placed such that it is accessible from the exterior at the feeding device, wherein the switch is placed in the front part at the side of the withdrawal axis which is remote from the mounting device.
 19. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the cover is secured at the front part remote from the storage body and at least at the side of the withdrawal axis which is remote from the mounting device.
 20. Feeding device according to claim 19, wherein the cover also surrounds the withdrawal eyelet.
 21. Feeding device according to claim 20, wherein the cover comprises or forms a holding device for the withdrawal eyelet.
 22. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the switch, preferably, at least one actuation member of the switch, is integrated into the cover.
 23. Feeding device according to claim 22, wherein the actuation member is a push button.
 24. Feeding device according to claim 23, wherein the push button is provided in a shaft of the cover, which shaft extends at least substantially perpendicular to the withdrawal axis.
 25. Feeding device according to claim 24, wherein the shaft extends in relation to the withdrawal axis in a direction which is opposite to the free end of the housing bracket.
 26. Feeding device according to claim 22, wherein the push button is provided in the free end of the front part, and that the contour of the push button is somewhat set back in relation to the contour of the free end.
 27. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the switch at the same time is a reset switch for the light source and a main switch of the feeding device.
 28. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the switch comprises a reset switch part and a main switch part, which parts can be actuated separately.
 29. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the switch comprises an illumination field.
 30. Feeding device according to claim 29, wherein the illumination field of the switch extends over two surfaces of the switch which run at an angle in relation to each other.
 31. Feeding device according to claim 19, wherein the cover is a hood comprising a primary illumination side extending at least substantially parallel to the front side of the front part and several secondary illumination sides which are oriented at angles in relation to the primary illumination side.
 32. Feeding device according to claim 31, wherein the secondary illumination side which is protruding with a cone-shape from a primary illumination side belongs to the holding system of the withdrawal eyelet.
 33. Feeding device according to claim 19, wherein a structural component is detachably secured at the front part, and that the cover is secured in place by the component.
 34. Feeding device according to claim 18, wherein the respective light source is a LED, which, preferably, is colored, and that the light source can be activated, preferably, either permanently or blinking. 